Brands
Equirus finance adds Mukesh Malik to its board
MUMBAI: Equirus Group has moved quickly to shore up governance at its newly minted lending arm, appointing Mukesh Malik as independent director on the board of Equirus finance, its non-deposit-taking non-banking financial company. The hire brings heavyweight banking experience to an NBFC with big ambitions—and little time to waste.
Malik arrives with more than three decades in global banking and financial services, spanning senior roles at Bank of America, ABN AMRO Bank, Citibank and Aditya Birla Capital. His track record runs deep across retail and corporate banking, technology and digital transformation, risk management and regulatory compliance, both in India and overseas. In short, a steady hand for a business that wants to scale fast, but safely.
A chartered accountant by training, Malik is a graduate of Shri Ram College of Commerce, New Delhi. He is widely regarded for building and running large, complex financial-services operations, and for marrying technology with risk discipline—skills that NBFCs ignore at their peril.
“We are delighted to welcome Mukesh Malik to the board of Equirus finance,” said Ajit Deshmukh, managing director of Equirus. “His exceptional track record in building and scaling financial-services operations, coupled with his deep understanding of NBFC businesses, technology infrastructure and regulatory frameworks, makes him an invaluable addition to our board. His strategic counsel will be instrumental as we build Equirus finance into a leading wealth-focused NBFC with the highest standards of governance, risk management and client service.”
Malik, for his part, sounded equally bullish. “I am pleased to join the board of Equirus finance at an important phase of its strategic journey,” he said. “Equirus has built a strong reputation across investment banking, institutional equities and wealth, and the NBFC presents a natural extension of this platform. I look forward to working closely with the board and management to help build a scalable, well-governed lending franchise, anchored in prudent risk management, robust technology and a sharp focus on client outcomes.”
The opportunity is sizeable. Equirus finance plans to offer bespoke, secured lending products including loan against securities, ESOP financing, market-linked debentures, structured finance and other customised solutions aimed squarely at high-net-worth individuals, family offices and promoters. Management is targeting a high-quality loan book of Rs 3,000 crore over the next few years, underpinned by a tight compliance and risk framework.
The NBFC is also expected to dovetail closely with Equirus wealth, creating what the group calls a unified “One Equirus” experience—part advisory, part balance-sheet, all cross-sell.
Equirus Group, founded 18 years ago, operates across investment banking, institutional securities, wealth and asset management, HNI broking, NBFC and insurance. It has advised on more than 315 transactions across M&A, private equity, IPOs, QIPs, rights issues and structured finance, raising over $15bn in the process.
With Malik on board, Equirus finance is signalling intent: grow fast, govern hard—and play the long game.
Brands
Delhivery chairman Deepak Kapoor, independent director Saugata Gupta quit board
Gurugram: Delhivery’s boardroom is being reset. Deepak Kapoor, chairman and independent director, has resigned with effect from April 1 as part of a planned board reconstitution, the logistics company said in an exchange filing. Saugata Gupta, managing director and chief executive of FMCG major Marico and an independent director on Delhivery’s board, has also stepped down.
Kapoor exits after an eight-year stint that included steering the company through its 2022 stock-market debut, a period that saw Delhivery transform from a venture-backed upstart into one of India’s most visible logistics platforms. Gupta, who joined the board in 2021, departs alongside him, marking a simultaneous clearing of two senior independent seats.
“Deepak and Saugata have been instrumental in our process of recognising the need for and enabling the reconstitution of the board of directors in line with our ambitious next phase of growth,” said Sahil Barua, managing director and chief executive, Delhivery. The statement frames the exits less as departures and more as deliberate succession, a boardroom shuffle timed to the company’s evolving scale and strategy.
The resignations arrive amid broader governance recalibration. In 2025, Delhivery appointed Emcure Pharmaceuticals whole-time director Namita Thapar, PB Fintech founder and chairman Yashish Dahiya, and IIM Bangalore faculty member Padmini Srinivasan as independent directors, signalling a tilt towards consumer, fintech and academic expertise at the board level.
Kapoor’s tenure spanned Delhivery’s most defining years, rapid network expansion, public listing and the push towards profitability in a bruising logistics market. Gupta’s presence brought FMCG and brand-scale perspective during a period when ecommerce volumes and last-mile delivery economics were being rewritten.
The twin exits, effective from the new financial year, underscore a familiar corporate rhythm: founders consolidate, veterans rotate out, and fresh voices are ushered in to script the next chapter. In India’s hyper-competitive logistics race, even the boardroom does not stand still.
Brands
Brnd.me enters Europe as haircare brands power global expansion
Bengaluru: Brnd.me, the global consumer brands company formerly known as Mensa Brands, has entered the European market following strong momentum across the Middle East, the United States and Canada.
The company has launched across the UK, Germany, France and Spain, with plans to expand into Italy, the Netherlands and Poland over the next year. The push is being led by its haircare and aromatherapy brands, Botanic Hearth and Majestic Pure, marking Brnd.me’s first structured expansion into Europe.
The European beauty market represents a total addressable opportunity of over $4 billion across haircare and aromatherapy, supported by high digital adoption and demand for accessible, performance-led products.
Brnd.me’s hair care and aromatherapy business currently operates at an annual run rate of around $6 million, with Botanic Hearth and Majestic Pure delivering roughly 10 per cent month-on-month growth, driven by expansion and rising repeat demand.
To support regional growth, the company has appointed a general manager based in Germany and is evaluating investments in warehousing and local team expansion.
Early traction has been strong. Within weeks of launch, Botanic Hearth’s rosemary hair oil ranked among the top five hair oils in Germany, signalling strong consumer pull in a competitive market.
Brnd.me founder and chief executive officer Ananth Narayanan, said Europe represents the next phase of the company’s international strategy. He added that the European business is expected to scale to a $10 million annual run rate by the end of 2026, with long-term ambitions to reach $60 million over the next six years.
The company’s Europe strategy centres on digital-first distribution, repeat demand and TikTok-led discovery, alongside direct-to-consumer expansion to strengthen brand equity and margins.
The move also aligns with growing EU–India trade engagement, supporting long-term sourcing and cross-border supply chains.
Brands
TechnoSport taps quick commerce with launch on Slikk’s 60-minute platform
NATIONAL: TechnoSport has launched on Slikk, the ultra-fast fashion app offering 60-minute delivery, as the activewear brand accelerates its push into quick commerce to capture Gen Z and young millennial shoppers.
The debut brings more than 150 high-performance styles to Slikk’s platform, with an average selling price of Rs 450, expanding TechnoSport’s reach across over 80 pin codes.
The partnership follows strong momentum for TechnoSport across Q-commerce channels, where the brand has recorded around 60 per cent volume growth over the past six months. The company expects quick commerce to contribute nearly 20 per cent of its revenue in the coming years as hyperlocal delivery gains scale.
Slikk, which recently raised $3.2 million in seed funding led by Lightspeed, has rapidly gained popularity among youth consumers seeking speed, trend relevance and impulse-led shopping experiences.
Activewear remains one of Slikk’s fastest-growing categories, driven by shoppers increasingly treating fitness-led fashion as an everyday essential. The platform has reported a 30-fold year-on-year increase in items sold, reflecting rising demand for performance wear that blends comfort with style.
TechnoSport chief executive officer Puspen Maity, said the collaboration would help the brand engage more closely with young consumers whose fashion choices are shaped by instant needs and lifestyle aspirations. He added that rapid delivery bridges the gap between intent and purchase, allowing shoppers to access activewear exactly when they want it.
-
iWorld3 months agoTips Music turns up the heat with Tamil party anthem Mayangiren
-
iWorld12 months agoBSNL rings in a revival with Rs 4,969 crore revenue
-
I&B Ministry3 months agoIndia steps up fight against digital piracy
-
MAM3 months agoHoABL soars high with dazzling Nagpur sebut
-
News Broadcasting5 days agoPalki Sharma leaves Firstpost: Reports
-
iWorld2 days agoNetflix celebrates a decade in India with Shah Rukh Khan-narrated tribute film
-
News Broadcasting6 months agoWion marks Independence Day with global showcase of India’s spirit
-
iWorld3 months agoThe Night Manager returns with new secrets, new spies and old scars
